OFFICIAL VISIT OF SERZH SARGSYAN TO KUWAIT

Noyan Tapan
Nov 6, 2009

AL KUWAIT, NOVEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
paid an official visit to Kuwait on November 3-4. After the official
welcoming ceremony at Al Kuwait Airport and a short talk with Kuwait’s
Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at the airport, President Serzh
Sargsyan received in his residence Director of the Kuwait Investment
Authority Bader Mohammad Al Sahadin. The latter said the Authority
implements investment projects in various developing countries and they
would be glad to cooperate with Armenia as well. Power engineering,
agriculture, real estate, and mining industry were pointed out as
sectors for possible investment by the Fund.

An agreement was reached to send a specialized working group to Kuwait.

Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with Director General of the Kuwait Fund
for Arab Economic Development Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Bader. The Fund is
one of the major institutions for economic development of the Gulf
countries and aims to encourage economic progress of the Arab countries
and developing countries by allocating financial loans and technical
assistance grants and making investments. Its director general also
attached great importance to the participation in Armenia’s economic
development and indicated economic infrastructure as the possible
sector of cooperation.

In his residence S. Sargsyan also received Speaker of Kuwait’s National
Assembly Jassem Mohammad Al-Kharafi and Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh
Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

"This is my first visit to the Gulf region and its purpose is to
give fresh impetus to our cooperation with Gulf countries. Armenia
is interested in deepening its relations with Kuwait and other Gulf
countries, and our parliaments may play an essential role in this
respect," S. Sargsyan stated during the meeting with Speaker of
Kuwaiti National Asembly.

Jassem Mohammad Al-Kharafi underlined that the mutual visits and
contacts at the high level are conducive to the development of
bilateral relations and represent a definite incentive for business
circles of the two countries.

He proposed holding Days of Armenian Culture and in this way
familiarize Kuwait’s population with the tourism opportunities of
Armenia that Kuwaiti people consider a beautiful and attractive
country.

The prospects of developing economic cooperation of the two countries
were discussed during the meeting with the prime minister of Kuwait.

In the words of the interlocutors, the mutual respect of the Armenians
and the Arabs for each other and their positive feelings form a
fertile soil to cooperate in various spheres and fulfill the whole
potential of economic and cultural cooperation.

Serzh Sargsyan said that Armenia has positive experience of economic
collaboration with some Gulf countries, and in case of adequate
steps and consistency it will be possible to reach desirable results
regarding Armenian-Kuwaiti economic cooperation. He proposed setting
up an intergovernmental commission.

The interlocutors were unanimous in their opinion that the opening of
embassies in Yerevan and Al Kuwait will promote the bilateral relations
and the constant political dialog. They agreed to accelerate the steps
aimed at signing an agreement on encouragement and mutual protection
of investments between the two countries.

Later on the first day of the state visit, S. Sargsyan conducted
negotiations with Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah. The Emir expressed confidence that the visit of Serzh
Sargsyan will stimulate the cooperation in various spheres based on the
centuries-old friendship, mutual love and respect of the Armenian and
Arab peoples. "There is no circumstance or problem that mights hinder
the development of our relations. Such high-level meetings can be
considered as a new stimulus to foster bilateral relations," he said.

S. Sargsyan in his turn thanked the Emir of Kuwait for his invitation
and warm reception. He stressed that Armenia is interested in promoting
the political dialog and the economic and cultural cooperation with
Kuwait, adding that the small but well-organized Armenian community
in Kuwait is a reliable bridge of the friendship between the two
countries.

He said the Armenian authorities are prepared to discuss in detail the
possible investment projects in Armenia, to ensure a proper environment
and provide all possible assistance for their implementation.

The sides exchanged ideas about the regional security and the solutions
to the current problems and conflicts. S. Sargsyan informed Kuwait’s
Emir about the current stage of normalization of Armenian-Turkish
realtions, as well as the essence of the Artsakh problem and the
negotiations on its resolution.

He said that the insufficient information about the Artsakh problem
and the inappropriate and inadmissible misuse of the religious
solidarity factor by Azerbaijan often result in incorrect decisions
by the Organization of Islamic Conference.

S. Sargsyan and the leader of Kuwait attended the signing ceremony
of the intergovernmental agreements: the agreements on cooperation
in agriculture, education, culture, and tourism, as well as the
agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of
fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and property. Then
the Emir of Kuwait gave a dinner in honor of the Armenian president.

S. Sargsyan visited a scientific center in Kuwait’s Salamiya area where
he became acquainted with the activities of the center dealing with
the problems of the ecosystem of the Gulf. He met with the Chairman
of Kuwait’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

S. Sargsyan also met with representatives of the Armenian community
in Kuwait. He spoke about the results of the visit and the agreements
reached, about Armenia’s socioeconomic development, the preservation
of Armenian identity, the normalization process of Armenian-Turkish
relations, and the negotiations on the Artsakh problem settlement. He
answered the questions of Kuwaiti Armenians.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress